RDC BREAKS GROUND ON EDUCATION CENTER FOR
RUSSELL W. PETERSON URBAN WILDLIFE REFUGE

(WILMINGTON, DE) October 26, 2007 —  Elected officials, environmentalists and community leaders came together today to celebrate the groundbreaking for a 13,500-square-foot Education Center at the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge on Wilmington’s Riverfront.
 

The $10.9 million project will include construction of a three-story facility, extension of the Riverwalk with a pedestrian bridge to the building, a picnic pavilion, 1000 linear feet of trail through the refuge, and educational signage. The environmental education center will feature classrooms, workshops, a laboratory, offices and observation decks for interactive study, hands-on education, and observation of the 212-acre, restored urban habitat. 
 “This facility and surrounding trail system will provide a unique opportunity for people to experience nature in an urban setting,” said Michael S. Purzycki, executive director of the Riverfront Development Corporation of Delaware (RDC).
 Located along the Christina River at the Old Wilmington Marsh, the refuge is named after former Delaware Governor and environmental activist, Russell W. Peterson. It was established by the RDC in 2000 on a remnant portion of several thousand acres of wetlands that were once among the nation’s most valuable fish and wildlife habitats.
 “Long before the Riverfront existed as we know it today, the vision lived in the mind of Russ Peterson.  He saw this setting as a hub where culture, open space and education all meet. Today, we pay tribute to a wonderful man who literally changed the landscape of our state,” said U.S. Senator Thomas R. Carper.

EDUCATION CENTER

 Funding sources for the education center and trail system include New Castle County, RDC, the Longwood Foundation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Welfare Foundation.
 “The restoration of this marsh and creation of an environmental education center provides a rare opportunity for students and nature lovers to learn about native species of plants and wildlife in an urban area,” said County Executive Chris Coons. “New Castle County is proud to be a supporter of this project, which will benefit our county and state for many years to come.”
 The RDC has partnered with the Delaware Nature Society to operate the Education Center within the refuge. The Department of Natural Resource and Environmental Control’s Division of Fish and Wildlife will continue to maintain the refuge marsh, with responsibility for minor capital needs, invasive species mitigation and mosquito control.
 The environmental education center and the trail system were designed in close collaboration with a Citizens Advisory committee, which brought together more than 60 representatives of environmental organizations, local, state and federal government agencies, community organizations, and the business community.
 Becker Morgan Group is architect of record for the education center. The designer was GWWO, of Baltimore. EDiS Company will serve as construction manager.

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